First Windows 8 Tablets, Hybrids Emerge Ahead of Computex

As expected, hardware makers have started announcing their coming Windows 8-based devices just ahead of this week’s Computex trade show in Taiwan. And first out of the gate are new tablets, hybrid PCs, Ultrabooks, and all-in-one desktops from Acer, ASUS, and Toshiba. However, only Acer has released detailed information about its plans.

Acer on Monday announced a pair of Windows 8-based tablets: the Iconia W510 and Iconia W700. The W510 is technically a hybrid PC: It sports a 10" screen and a detachable keyboard that transforms the tablet into a clamshell notebook or flips backward over the device in a presentation mode. The W700 is a higher-end device with an 11.6" full-HD screen. Both devices provide over 8 hours of battery life, Acer says.

Acer Iconia W510

“The most unique part of the W510 tablet is the tri-mode, allowing users to touch, type, and view,” an Acer press release notes. “A detachable keyboard dock can be connected to the tablet for optimal typing as well as extending the battery life up to 18 hours. Rotating the tablet 295 degrees allows it to be used in presentation mode, which is excellent for watching a video, browsing a webpage, or viewing a PowerPoint presentation.”

Acer Iconia W700

Acer’s devices, notably, are based on Intel chipsets, though the company says it will release ARM-based Windows RT tablets “two to four months” after Windows 8 launches, as well. The W510 will cost $799, Acer notes, while the W700 will cost $999.

Acer has also announced a touch-based Aspire Ultrabook, which comes in versions with both 11.6" and 13.3" screens. These devices will feature battery life of 9 to 13 hours, the company claims. And Acer will offer two all-in-one PCs in 23" and 27" screen variants. The PCs feature swiveling screens, multi-touch, and full HD graphics.

ASUS, meanwhile, has announced two Intel-based Windows 8 tablet PCs—the Tablet 810 and Tablet 600—and three hybrid PCs than can switch between pure tablet and notebook modes. These are named the Taichi, Transformer AiO, and Transformer Book. Toshiba, meanwhile, will offer at least one ARM-based Windows RT tablet, although the company’s official announcement is still forthcoming.

Microsoft is expected to reveal a number of coming Windows 8 and Windows RT hardware designs during Computex. Stay tuned!

Discuss this Article 35

" I'm glad that you've acknowledged that you and Paul are a lot alike."
I do not "acknowledge" that. That may be your opinion, which you are welcome to, but I didn't say it and I certainly don't agree.
"Your bias is just as strong as his...it's just for the "other side" in this idiotic brand loyalty war. "
Right. Re-read my last post where I just took APPLE to task about their BS battery life claims.

@chuckb84 - I'm glad that you've acknowledged that you and Paul are a lot alike. A lot of us already saw the similarities. Your bias is just as strong as his...it's just for the "other side" in this idiotic brand loyalty war. They alway say that the loudest complainers the ones that have the same habits as what they are compaining about.

Every company is going to make a million units of their new cool Win8 products.
Each product, from each company will sell a few thousands units.
They will all basically be failures.
BUT.
Microsoft will say they have 'sold' million and millions of copies of Win8 for new tablet hybrid devices.
Yet 80% of all those devices will be sitting in warehouses and on store shelves.
And the M$ fans will claim success.
It happens every year. shortly after E3.

@ Fanboys:
The thing is, never once did I mention Apple.
You assume.
Also, do you yell "Fanboy!" at people who say your favourite sports team is going to lose before the game has started?
Because that is what you are doing here.
I like to predict, just like anyone who watches any sport, or industry.
Hell, some people even give themselves the title of "Analyst" and get paid lots of money to type what I did about M$.

"The battery life is listed in the article. Did you not read that far before posting?"
The manufacturer's claimed battery life is not "the battery life". In typical fashion, Paul touts as-yet-unreleased products running an as-yet-unreleased OS under the banner "this time it's gonna be different".
Perhaps. When the stuff is released we'll see. But Microsoft has used that line so many times that Apple made a commercial from it.

@chuckb84 - So, you'd rather come here and point fingers and embellish on other people's statements than back up your own or have a discussion? Like I said, you and Paul are a lot alike. Same tactics, different sides.

@chuckb84 - "At $999, just get an 11" Macbook Air; a no brainer.
intel chips, huh? What's the battery life?"
The keyboard is detachable and the screen touch on the Air? I didn't realize that. I'll have to look for that one at my local Apple Store.
The battery life is listed in the article. Did you not read that far before posting?
It's not like you to type such a sloppy post.

"The W510 will cost $799, Acer notes, while the W700 will cost $999."
That's hilarious. Really? If Apple priced these things that way, Paul would go ballistic.
At $999, just get an 11" Macbook Air; a no brainer.
intel chips, huh? What's the battery life?
Pretty good summary of Windows 8 over at Macworld,
"So, Microsofts big hope for getting into the tablet space is an operating system with an attractive but flawed front end thats incongruously tied to a legacy desktop, and will require different versions of applications depending on which hardware you have.
What could go wrong?"

AT $799 for the W510, I suspect it is a bit high. Initial sales will probably slump a bit. If they drop to about $650 they may do reasonably well. Problem is, if they are released in late Fall, Acer will likely not discount them before Christmas sales season to cause them to be adopted widely. Discounting them after Christmas may sell some units, but not as many as they would sell for Christmas rush.Add the new OS in and there may be enough people asking themselves "Why do I want this thing instead of a tablet again" ?

These are really cool! Nice replacement options for my laptop. Comparing these to iPads is ignorant. It seems THAT will be Acer et al's biggest challenge: differentiating these computer/tablets from simple tablets. Do consumers need real computers anymore? Certainly these will be great for business, but for consumers I'm not sure. Acer isn't known for business computing. If Dell and HP release similar devices I can see them being hugely popular for business.

I love the new form factors being released. However, I am looking for pen input like I have now on my Win7 convertible tablet and have no desire to use my fingers on the screen. I wonder if those days are gone what with the consumerization of IT running rampant and all.

"McGilli
Jun 05, 2012
Every company is going to make a million units of their new cool Win8 products.
Each product, from each company will sell a few thousands units.
They will all basically be failures.
BUT.
Microsoft will say they have 'sold' million and millions of copies of Win8 for new tablet hybrid devices.
Yet 80% of all those devices will be sitting in warehouses and on store shelves.
And the M$ fans will claim success.
It happens every year. shortly after E3."
Blah blah blah. another crystal ball Apple fanboy. Fact: nothing is released. Fact #2: you being an Apple fanboy. Fact #3: all the wishing that MS will fail doesn't make it true just because you said so.
OPINION: I'm not a huge fan of Windows 8 and how it looks. After trying it for a while on a laptop, I basically shrugged my shoulders and went back to Win 7. That being said, I'm curious to see how it runs on a true touch screen. Should be interesting, but it'll have to take a lot to knock Apple off the tablet pedestal.

It is a bit high compared to a iPad, but if you compare to an iPad and keyboard is it close. If you compare to an iPad and a laptop (even a Windows laptop) it is way cheaper.
I guess we will have to see, are they crap in the middle, or do they meet our needs or than a laptop or an iPad?

$800 to $1,000 seems pretty high to me. It is hard to compete agaisnt the iPad at these price-points.
I hope that Windows-RT tablets start under $400 (keyboard not included but availabe as a bluetooth accessory). Windows 8 tablets should start at $600 (again sans keyboard).
If OEMs don't set these entry-level pricepoints low enough, Microsoft will not draw iPad bauyers back into the Windows fold, as it were.
It seems to me that a properly priced Windows-RT tablet is an attractive alternatives to the netbook. No bells or whistles. Minimum RAM, keyboard extra. Selling at $350, this outght to be really attractive.
Add $250 and make it a Windows 8 tablet. Full featured. More RAM.
Starting at entry-level price points and adding extras (for more money) makes more sense than offwering only top-of-the-line options and expecting iPad buys to flcok to them in droves.

@Marc Wagner - You nailed it with the RT portion of your post....but I think that the Intel based devices are targeted to those that want to keep full compatibility with applications that they currently own and use. Whether that is worth these prices is up to the individual. The ARM based RT devices will hopefully provide direct competition to the iOS and Android based tablets. Time will tell.
@kliloopi - Tell us, which of the devices in the article above do you feel are "derivative of Apple hardware"?

"You didn't touch on your comparison to the MBA to these devices. They aren't even in the same class. "
I agree, the MBA is shipping, these things aren't.
"You don't question Apple's claims, even though they have been proven to be overstated regularly. "
Not true. Apple's battery life claims, like all other manufacturers, are at best overstated and at worst, just absurd. I find that I get real world numbers that are about half what Apple claims (with the exception of the iPad, which basically lives up to the hype). That experience is WHY I said that the manufacturers claim is meaningless.
And, again, it's all just hypothetical bullish!t until they ship the things and they're independently reviewed.
There's an old lawyer joke, "If you have the law, pound the law. If you have the facts, pound the facts. If you have neither, pound the table." Hyping these unshipping devices that run an OS that is barely into beta testing is definitely a case of pounding the table.

@chuckb84 - Sorry, but you asked what the battery life is. This article, along with thousands of others across the internet give what is known at this time. Not sure why you are changing your story now. You don't question Apple's claims, even though they have been proven to be overstated regularly. You didn't touch on your comparison to the MBA to these devices. They aren't even in the same class. Your bias is showing as much as Paul's does.
Like I said...it's not like you to post such a sloppy comment.

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